Brad Barnes

A stylish new cafe serving street food and drink from the Indian sub-continent has opened for business in Peterborough.

Chaiiwala is a new venture on Lincoln Road, Millfield, and the name, which refers to a master craftsman of tea, features tea - or chai - as one of its key menu offerings.

Chaiiwala tea shop at Lincoln Road EMN-160913-182438009

There is Karak chai, standard or saffron flavoured, which is a popular drink on the streets of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, in addition to mint chai and cinnamon chai.

Regular diners at Indian or Pakistani restaurants might recognise some of the menu items - rotis, chilli paneer, samosas - but perhaps not have come across, mogo chips (cassava fingers finished with gazebo sauce) or a bhajiya cone with fresh crispy potato covered in batter.

There’s even an all-day Indian breakfast with a choice of masala omelette, masala beans, daal and rotis.

But there’s isn’t a curry in sight.

Mohammed Amjad, one of the team behind the franchise spin-off of the original Chaiiwala in Leicester, said that venture was responsible for the Peterborough outlet.

“A lot of Asians living in Peterborough visit Leicester for one reason or another and we found many were stopping for a cup of tea before returning.

“We think we have found a good location, and we have some nice artwork a quality retro finish rather than contemporary/

“There are a lot of takeaways in Peterborough and now dessert parlours, but what we have is definitely different with Indian and Pakistani street food on the menu. There are things which you do not get ordinarily, but very typical and 100 per cent traditional such as the masala omelette wrap or a gajar halwa cheesecake, made the Indian way of doing desserts.”

Mr Amjad stressed he hoped Chaiiwala would appeal to all people, not just the city’s Asian community, who would be amazed by the smells and flavours they had not come across before.

“We are hoping to bring all communities in, and masala chips, for instance, are popular with the East African community.

“Everyone will love the Karak chai and the Karak coffee we brew to a level where you will taste it and think “wow”.